Idaho Law Blog
There are approximately 252 million cars and truck on U.S. roadways. According to the Idaho Department of Transportation, there were 22,134 vehicle accidents on Idaho roadways in 2014 that resulted in 11,768 total people being injured. Of the 22,134 vehicle accident occurring in Idaho, 6286 occurred in Ada County, Idaho. Not surprisingly, the number one cause of personal injury lawsuits in Boise, Idaho and statewide are caused by vehicle accidents. In Idaho, all vehicle owners are required to have their cars insured to provide fair compensation to victims of car accidents. However, this does not mean insurance companies freely give victims of car accidents fair compensation. Insurance companies are in business to make money, not pay money to accident victims. An experienced attorney can often obtain more compensation for an accident victim, than the victim can obtain dealing directly with an insurance company.
In addition to personal injuries occurring from car accidents in Boise, Idaho, other types of common causes of personal injuries come from medical malpractice, slip and fall or intentional torts. A medical malpractice claim occurs when a person becomes injured or dies because of the negligent act or failure to act of a medical professional. A claim can also arise if a medical professional’s negligent action or inaction makes a prior injury or condition worse. The medical profession is often a doctor, but can also be a nurse, physician’s assistant, physical therapist or even an institution, such as a hospital. As with vehicle accidents, the medical provider is usually covered by an insurance policy for malpractice. Slip and fall accidents usually arise when a commercial store, such as a grocery store, restaurant or retain store, fails to ensure that customer walkways are clear from hazards. In those instances, a store can be liable for the injuries its negligence causes. Other types of personal injury cases in Boise, Idaho involve dog bites. The owner of a dog can be liable for personal injuries caused by his or her dog. Many times, those claims are covered by home owner’s insurance or renter’s insurance. Intentional torts can also give rise to a personal injury lawsuit. An intentional tort is committed when someone intentionally acts to cause injury, such as a battery. While not always covered by insurance, a victim of an intentional tort is entitled to receive compensation from the person who committed the intentional tort. In all personal injury incidents, an experienced attorney from Racine Olson is available for a consultation.